Delivery-cabinet



T. A. MATTHEWS. DELIVERY CABINET-J APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 192l 1,395,857. Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

T. A. MATTHEWS.

DELIVERY CABINET.

, APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, I921. 1,395,857. Patented Nov. 1,1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- THOMAS A. MATTHEWS, on NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

DELIVERY-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Application filed June 1. 1921. Serial No. 474,076.

To (all to hem it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS A. MATTHEWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Delivery- Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to delivery cabinets of the type shown in my Patents 1,357,070 and 1,357,071, October 26, 1920.

The objects of the invention are to provide a simple and efficient cabinet for containing and delivering fiat articles, such as sheets of paper, envelops, cards and the like; to pro vide such a cabinet with a rotary sectional operating shaft adapted to be swung up from over a spring-pressed follower so as to readily admit of the insertion of a supply of the articles to be delivered; to provide the swinging member of the. shaft and the feed roller with interlocking means for securely holding them in fixed relation to each other, and to provide a novel spring-pressed follower mechanism to hold the articles against the feed roller.

These objects I accomplish by the construction shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of my improved cabinet with the casing partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the feed shaft and roller detached; the roller being broken away to show its connection with its shaft.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective showing a modification.

The case or cabinet 1 is substantially like that shown in my Patent 1,357,070 above referred to and has the hinged desk-like top and the folding prop. The discharge slot 4:, however, in the front of thecabine't extends across both compartments 2 and 3 where two compartments are provided. A guide lip or flange 4 is located at the inner side of the cabinet just over the delivery slot 4: so that the sheets will be properly guided to the slot.. There is a transverse partition separating these compartments so that envelops may be placed in one and sheets of paper in the other. placed followers 7 formed of rectangular horizontally disposed plates having aperturesor sockets 10 in their four corners. On the bottom of the casing are placed spiral springs 6, four for each follower '7 the In the said compartments are upper ends or apices of the springs terminating in pins 9 which enter the sockets 10, while the lower ends ofthe springs are held in loops 9 struck up from the bottom 5 of the cabinet. Thus the followers and their springs are held in position and cannot become accidentally displaced.

Over the two followers 7- are'mounted the two feed shafts 8, 8 formed in two sections. The outer shorter member of each shaft is journaled in the end of the cabinet and has a hand wheel or knob 15, and at the inner wall of the cabinet said shorter member has a collar 16 secured thereon by a screw or otherwise so that said member may be rotated, but is held from longitudinal movement. The inner end of said short shaft member is slotted, as at 18, and in this slot is pivoted the outer end of the longer shaft member. The two members of the shaft 8 are thus hinged together so that the inner longer member may be rotated by the outer shorter member, while the inner longer member may be swung up away from the follower 7. The inner ends of the longer member of shaft 8 are mounted in downwardly pening half bearings 12 mounted at opposite sides of the partition. The feed rollers the mechanism within them the same.

In order to fill the cabinet, the inner shaft member is pressed down to free its inner end from the half bearing 12 and it is then moved laterally fromunder the said bearing and then swung upwardly out of the way. The sheets or the like are then placed on the follower 7 which is depressed against the action of its springs 6. l Vhen the proper quantity has been placed on the follower the said longer shaft section will be swung down with its roller on top of the pile and its free end will be again inserted in the half bearing 12. 7

Various modifications may be made with out departing from the spirit of my invention.

For instance, in making small cabinets one or more springs of suitable form may be or two compartments, as both are alike and casing or cabinet and rest in registering notches or half bearings 18 in adjacent edges of the top and body of the cabinet. In this construction the inner ends of the shafts 8 rest removably in bearings 12, 12 in the partition so that by raising the lid and then raising the outer end of the shaft 8 its inner end may be withdrawn from the bearing 12 and so the shaft may be moved upwardly out of the way to permit a pile of sheets or the like to be placed on the follower 7. In both constructions the transverse feed shaft 8 is movable vertically or upwardly out of the way. In Fig. 4 the outer end of the longer shaft 8 vmay beheld against accidental displacement by a hook 2O pivoted on the inner side of the cabinet end.

.What I claim is:

1. The combination with a cabinet having a delivery slot, of a spring-pressed follower in the cabinet to support and lift the pile, a

sectional operating shaft parallel with and above the follower; the inner member of which shaft is hinged at oneend to the outer or operating member to swing vertically away from the follower to'admit of av pile of sheets or the like being placed thereon, and a feed roll on said swinging member.

2. The combination with a cabinet having a delivery slot and a spring-pressed follower to support and lift the pile, of an outer shaft member journaled in one wall of the cabinet and having an external operating knob or handle and an inner collar, an inner shaft member provided with a feed roller and hinged at one end to said outer member, and a half bearing opening clownwardly to removably receive the free end of said hinged member.

3. A delivery cabinet having a feed slot in one side, a horizontal follower, spiral springs under the follower, pin and socket connections between the upper ends of the springs and the said follower; the bottom of the cabinet having struck up loops or eyes receivin the lower free ends of said springs, a feed siaft formed in hinged sections, the outer one of which sections being provided with an operating knob or handle and the a half bearing, opening downwardly, for the free end of the swinging shaft section.

4. A delivery cabinet having a vertical transverse partition, a delivery slot in one side of the cabinet and extending across both compartments, spring-pressed followers in both compartments to support and raise the sheets or the like, longitudinally alined sectional shafts the outer shorter members ofwhich are journaled in opposite ends of the cabinet and provided with external knobs or handles and the inner longer members of which shafts are hinged at their outer ends to'the shorter outer shaft members, feed rollers on the hinged members, anddownwardly opening half bearings at opposite sides of the upper edge of said partition to removably receive the free ends of the hinged shaft sections.

5. A' delivery cabinet having a vertically movable lid, a horizontal spring-elevated follower to support a pile of sheets or the like; a horizontal delivery slot being provided in the cabinet front near its upper edge, and a transverse vertically movable feed shaft journaled in the upper edge of th cabinet below the lid parallel with said slot and overlyingthe follower and having a feed roll against which sheets or the like are pressed by the follower; whereby when the lid is raised the feed shaft may be moved away from the follower when-a pile is to be placed thereon.

6. A delivery cabinet having a vertically movable lid, a horizontal spring-elevated follower to support a pile of sheets or the like; a horizontal delivery slot being pro vided near the top edge of the cabinet front and a transverse shaft below the lid and having a feed roll against which the -follower presses the sheets or the like; said shaft having an external operating device and bearings for the shaft, one of which is open to permit the shaft to be moved away from the follower when a pile of sheets or the like is to be inserted. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' THOMAS A. MATTHEWS. 

